In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global AI community, Trapit Bansal, an Indian-origin researcher and alumnus of IIT Kanpur, has officially left OpenAI to join Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. His transition is being widely discussed not just for its strategic implications, but also for the rumored $100 million compensation package—a figure that underscores the intensifying battle for top AI talent.
???? From IIT Kanpur to Silicon Valley
Trapit Bansal’s academic journey began at IIT Kanpur, where he earned degrees in Mathematics and Statistics. He later pursued a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, specializing in meta-learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP). His early career included internships at Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and OpenAI, giving him a panoramic view of the AI landscape.
???? A Key Architect at OpenAI
Bansal joined OpenAI full-time in January 2022 as a Member of Technical Staff, where he worked closely with co-founder Ilya Sutskever. He played a pivotal role in developing OpenAI’s first AI reasoning model, o1, and contributed significantly to reinforcement learning research. His work laid the foundation for OpenAI’s evolving reasoning capabilities, including the development of models like o32.
???? The Meta Move and Superintelligence Vision
On June 30, 2025, Bansal confirmed his move to Meta via a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Thrilled to be joining @Meta! Superintelligence is now in sight.” He joins Meta’s newly launched Superintelligence Labs, a division personally overseen by Mark Zuckerberg and co-led by Alexandr Wang and Nat Friedman. The lab aims to build artificial general intelligence (AGI) that can rival or surpass human capabilities4.
???? The $100 Million Buzz
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently accused Meta of offering $100 million compensation packages to lure top researchers. While Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth denied that such offers were standard, reports suggest that Bansal’s deal likely includes a mix of equity, bonuses, and long-term incentives, making it one of the most lucrative in tech history5.
???? What This Means for AI’s Future
Bansal’s move is more than a career shift—it’s a signal of the escalating AI arms race between tech giants. With Meta aggressively recruiting from OpenAI, DeepMind, and Anthropic, the battle for AGI supremacy is heating up. For India, Bansal’s rise is a proud moment, showcasing the global impact of homegrown talent in shaping the future of intelligence itself.